Phonograph record retaining device for record containers



Nov. 26, 1935. .1. E. RENHOLDT 2,022,216

PHONOKGRAPH RECORD RETAINING DEVICE FOR RECORD CONTAINERS Original Filed Feb. 19, 1954 lNvENToR L/Lw TTORNEYS Patented Nov. 26, 1935 y 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PHONOGRAPH RECORD BETAINING DEVICE FOR RECRD CONTAINERS Application February 19, 1934, Serial No. 711,924 Renewed April 24, 1935 12 Claims.

This invention relates to containers and particularly to containers for fragile articles such as phonograph record-cylinders and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide such a container adapted to retain the cylinders safely within the same even should the container accidentally be held in an inverted position and to permit and Vindeed facilitate the ready removal of the cylinder from the container.

Another object is to provide such a container with means for preventing damage to the recordcylinder when the latter is allo-wed to fallby gravity into the container or when it is pushed thereinto by hand.

Incarrying out the objects above set forth, a holding means may be incorporated in thecontainer as originally constructed but it is a further object of the present invention to provide such means as a 'separate article of manufacture adapted readily to be applied to the container in frictional engagement therewith. Thus the retaining means may be made as'a separate varticle of manufacture to be installed in a`suitable container when desired or transferred from one container to another whenever the original container becomes 'worn or otherwise unsuitable for fur.-

ther'use.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In 'the accompanying drawing in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of my invention:V Y 1 Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken through the axis of a carton to which the retaining means has been applied, showing a record-cylinder partially disposed within the carton;

Fig. 2 is a similar section showing the recordcylinder wholly disposed within the carton and lockedtherein by the retaining means;

Fig. 3 isa horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

seen to be in the form of a carton, cylindrical in form,'comprising an outer Wall I0 and an inner (Cl. 20G-15.1) r

wall I I both made of stiff cardboard and a lining I3 of flannel covering the inner surface of the wall II. The bottom of the carton is closed by means of a disk or disks I4 held in place by means of the beaded edge I5 of the outer wall. For a n more detailed description of such a carton reference is made to United States Patent 1,608,543. The inner cylinder Wall with its flannel covering terminates short of the bottom of the carton, as shown at I6, leaving a space for the reception of the support or base of a retaining member to be hereinafter described.

In prior constructions Where it has been attempted to prevent record-cylinders from falling out of their cartons, resilient means have been l5 employed which, extending up from the bottom of the carton, frictionally engaged the interior of the record-cylinder. Such devices are not positive in operation and frictional engagement with the record-cylinder is apt to be variable so that 20 such devices have failed satisfactorily to attain the objects for which they were designed.

The present invention provides a record-retaining means or latch adapted resiliently to snap over the upper edge of the record-cylinder when 25 the latter is fully seated within the carton, positively to prevent the accidental removal or discharge of the record-cylinder from the carton. The operation of this device is automatic since it is set in record-retaining position by the pas- 5' sage of the record to its fully seated position in the carton. Furthermore, this device provides a shock absorber for preventing damage to the record-cylinder should the latter be dropped into the carton. Y

In construction the retaining device comprises a base member or support Il made of metal in the form -of a Greek cross, the extremities of the arms of the cross being slightly upturned as shown at I8. Upstanding lugs I9 formed upon the base members Il serve as supports for a pivot pin ZII pivotally supporting .a lever 2|. Lever 2| is normally held in the raised position shown in vmeans 25 which may be a piece of rubber or other suitable material is secured upon the Yupper surface of the longer arm of the lever near the end thereof, as by the use of an adhe- 55 sive, for a purpose that will appear hereinafter.

The short end of the lever extends but slightly beyond the pivot as shown at 26. A spring wire member 28 constitutes the means for holding the record-cylinder in the carton. The Wire is bent back upon itself as at 29 lafter the fashion of a hairpin to form a bight, thus providing two parallelly disposed wire legs 3) which at theirV lower ends are rigidly secured to the lever 2l adjacent its end 2li. Adjacent the bight the wires are bent substantially at right angles as at `3l to provide a latch or stop adapted to hold the record-cylinder in place. The legs 30 -ar-e further bent in any suitable manner, as indicated in the drawing, in order that the latch portion of the wire may occupy a position clear of :the end of the record-cylinder when the Alever 2l stands in its raised position. A plate 32 is secured to the two wires adjacent the bend 3l in Order to serve as a braceand to provide a ngerfpiece for conveniently `releasing the l-atchxfrom vcarton to permit passage of the device to its ultimate position. These upturned ends then spring outwardly with suicient force to engage the inner surface of the container Wall with considerable friction and thus prevent the retain- 4ing device yfrom being withdrawn from the carton. However, should `the carton become worn out or dirty or useless for Vany other reason, it may be 4split open and the retaining device removed bodily therefrom, after which the latter may be introduced yinto a new carton.

As soon as this device has been applied to the carton as above described it `is functionally operative in the following manner: Suppose a record-cylinder, as 5, be inserted into the carton until its lower iend just engages the cushioned surface of the lever as illustrated in Fig. 1. Further yinward movement of the record-cylinder will carry Athe lever down to the position shown in 1Eig. 2, when the record will be fully seated in the carton and the latch portion 29 of the spring wire Amember will engage the outer 'end of `the .record-cylinder `tohold it securely in place. The

cushion 25 prevents injury to the end of the record by impact thereof upon the metal lever and thespring 22 serves .to prevent injury to the record byreason of its being permitted to enter the carton with unnecessary force.

It will be seen that in the latched position it is physically impossible for the record to be removed from the carton without the latch being rst forced out of the .path of the record. This may be readily accomplished by moving the plate 32 toward the axis of the carton by finger pressure.

As soon as the latch clears the end of the vcarton the spring 22 will quickly raise the lever absorbing record-retaining means but also as a record-ejector for facilitating record removal. The wires 3B are sufficiently resilient to compensate for slight variations in the lengths of records and to avoid injury to the outer end of the record.

adapted to be received within a record-cylinder -carton .adjacent the Vbottom. of v:said carton, a

member pivotaily mounted on .said support adapted to engage 'and'be moved sfrom anormal position bythe advancing "end of a cylinder as the latter Ais'placed infsaid carton, and means secured .to said member and responsive to 'the .said movement of vsaidfmember to be brought .into engagement with the other endof said cylinder.

2. As an article Aof manufacture, a retaining :device comprising, in combination, a support adapted to vbe received within a record-cylinder carton adjacent 'the bottom of said carton, a member pivotally mounted on said support adapted to engage and be moved from `a normal :position Eby :the .advancing end of a cylinder as the latter iis :placedinsaid carton, means secured zto said .memberand responsive to the said movementoffsaid -membertto fbe brought into engage- :ment with tthe other end of said cylinder, fand I`resilient mica-ns tending to hold `said member in L the said normal position.

.As an .article .of maufacture, a retaining device comprising, `in combination, a support adapted to vbe .received within la record-cylinder carton adjacent fthe bottom of said carton, a member y.pivo'tally `mounted .on said Asupport adapted to engage and be moved from anormal position .by kthe .advancing end of a cylinder as the latter is placed in said-carton,2means secured to said member and vresponsive to the said movef fment 'of saidmember to be brought into engagement rwith the lother end of said cylinder, Yand meansfadapted to engage the inner wall of said carton to .retain said support in `operative position within said carton.

4. Asan article lof manufacture, a'retaining'device comprising, in combination, a support adapted to be received and held within a carton or other container adjacent the bottom thereof, a member mounted on said support and movable with respect thereto, said member being adapted to engage and be .moved from a normal Iposition by the advancing .end of an article as the latter is placed in said carton, and means secured to 4said member and responsive to the said movement of said member to be brought into locking engagement withthe otherend of said article.

A5. .In .a device vof the character described, the combination with a carton for phonograph record-cylinders of retaining means adapted automatically to be brought into gripping engagement with the ends of '-a record-cylinder when said cylinder is placed .in said carton vand means for automatically moving said cylinder part Way out of said carton upon the release of said retaining means.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a carton or other container of retaining means adapted automatically to be brought into gripping engagement with the ends of an article when said article is placed in said carton, said means comprising inner and outer members making positive contact with said ends.

'7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a carton for phonograph record-cylinders of means operable by a record-cylinder when the latter is placed in said carton to interpose an obstruction in the path of removal of said cylinder from said carton, and means for partially ejecting said cylinder from said carton when the said obstruction is removed by a manual act.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a carton for phonograph record-cylinders of means adapted to be thrust over the outer end of a record-cylinder operable by said record-cylinder When the latter is placed in said carton to interpose an obstruction in the path of removal of said cylinder from said carton.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a carton for phonograph record-cylinders of resilient means comprising inner and outer contact members adapted to be brought into engagement with the ends of a cylinder to retain said cylinder when the same is placed in said carton.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with a carton for phonograph record-cylinders of resilient means comprising inner and outer contact members adapted to be brought into engagement with the ends of a cylinder deposited in said carton to prevent said cylinder r from falling from said carton should the latter be held in an inverted position. lo

11. In a device of the character described, the combination with a carton for phonograph record tablets, of record-retaining means comprising a member adapted to engage and positively retain the record within the carton and a member 15 Y for operating said iirst-named member, a portion of said operating member being so positioned as to be struck by the record as the Vlatter is inserted in the carton, whereby the insertion of the record results in the automatic locking thereof Within '30 the carton.

12. In a device of the character described, the combination with a carton for phonograph record tablets of a member movably mounted within said carton and adapted to engage and be moved from "-5 the said movement of said member. 30

J QHN E. RENHOLDT. 

